Born to Die
by The Glitch
Summary: [AU] It's the morning after the final rankings for the initiates were posted, the morning after Tris realizes that the simulations the Dauntless were injected with contained a transmitter. But why wasn't the simulation activated? Why weren't the Dauntless members used as an army as the leaders of the Dauntless and the Erudite had originally planned?
1. I

**The events in this story take place immediately after chapter thirty-two. At the start of chapter thirty-three, Tris is awoken by the sound of the other Dauntless being controlled by the simulation. In this story, the simulation was never activated, but the tension between the factions - between Erudite and Abnegation - is still at a high.**

**Page 415 of Divergent:**

_A moment later, Tobias's thumb brushes over the injection site on my neck, and a few things come together at once. I don't know how I didn't figure this out before.  
_

_One: Colored serum contains transmitters._

_Two: Transmitters connect the mind to a simulation program._

_Three: Erudite developed the serum._

_Four: Eric and Max are working with the Erudite._

_[...] "Tris?" [Tobias] asks, confused._

_I shake my head. "Not now." I meant to say not here, not with [...] the clamor of the Dauntless surrounding us. But he has to know how important it is. _

_"Later," I say. "Okay?"_

_He nods. I don't even know how I'll explain it later. I don't even know how to think straight._

_But I do know how Erudite will get us to fight._

* * *

I open my eyes. Take a breath. Today we're choosing our jobs.

And since I am ranked first, I'm the first to choose.

No pressure, right?

The words _government job _keep flitting across my mind, as they have been since last night. At first I banished the idea as soon as it sprung up, but now, I thought about it. What better way to get the inside scoop on everything the government was planning than to become a member of the government myself? There wasn't.

I still haven't told Tobias about my epiphany last night. I need to tell him, soon, because they injected us with the transmitter last night. And serums don't run through your blood forever. Soon they're going to activate it, and everyone who was injected is going to be at the mercy of the Erudite and the Dauntless-turned-Erudite. I only hope we're able to stop them in time. If not, who knows what they'll make us do. Well, everyone who isn't Divergent. I hope it isn't anything major they're planning to use us for, but I know in my heart that they wouldn't go through all the trouble if the outcome wasn't going to be worthwhile for them.

Sitting up slowly, I look around at the dorm room. Last night was the last night we would be sleeping in these bunks; after we choose our job, we get assigned our own apartments. Or, at least, we would get assigned our own apartments.

If the simulation doesn't launch.

I shake myself and climb out of my bed swiftly, quietly padding my way out of the room and down the corridors, my path set strait to Tobias's room. I have to tell him about the simulation, and the more I think about it, the more certain I am that they will launch an attack. Against who, I don't know. But I have a sinking suspicion that I know exactly who they will attack.

I find myself in front of Tobias's door. My hand comes up and I knock softly, all the while hoping Tobias is a light sleeper, or an early riser, because there was no way I was going to go banging around the Dauntless compound at five-thirty in the morning. Not with all the needles being shoved in everyone's necks.

Luckily, he is one of those two, and Tobias opens the door, a guarded expression on his face. When he sees that it's me, his features slacken and he steps aside, ushering me in silently, looking down the hallway to see if anyone is watching us. He closes the door and walks over to where I have perched myself on the edge of his bed. He sits down besides me and turns to look me in the eye, waiting for me to speak.

"Tobias," I squeak, and clear my throat, "Tobias, they injected everyone with a transmitter yesterday. They're planning on using us as an army, and we need to warn everyone."

He nods at me slowly, not looking surprised in the slightest. I should have known he would have connected the dots without me telling him. "If they were planning on using us – which I have no doubt they were – they would have launched the simulation by now. Either someone is getting in the way of the launch, or Jeanine is having second thoughts." He says, "The serum they injected everyone with is only meant to last a few hours, half a day at most, which would mean that the Erudite could have acted on their plans and launched their simulation any time during the night. No one acted strange last night, did they?" he asks. I shake my head no.

"I'm pretty sure someone stopped the simulation before it could go into effect, then. Jeanine isn't the kind of person to back out of things. Tris," he grabs my hands scooting closer to me on the bed so that our bodies are angled towards each other, our knees touching. "I suggest you get a government job. Being in the loop of the higher-ups may be the only way we can stop future attempts to brainwash our faction. I'm not saying you have to, what I'm saying is it would be a very, very smart thing if you get a leadership position."

"Will they still be able to kill me?" _Stupid_, I think. The second the words are out of my mouth I regret them. Of course they'll still be able to kill me.

Tobias smiles, but there is no humor in his eyes. "They'll still be able to kill you, but the higher up you are in the leadership hierarchy, the harder it's going to be for Eric and Max and Jeanine to pull off your murder as an accident."

_My murder. _The words bounce around in my head, and I ask a question that's been bugging at the back of my mind, "Who shut down the simulation? Who figured out what the Erudite were doing before we did?"

Tobias just shakes his head, laying back on his bed with his hands locked behind his neck. "I don't know. Most likely someone who's close to the leaders, or someone who works with simulations a lot and was quick enough to put two and two together the moment they were given the equation. I don't know." he repeats, sighing up at the ceiling. I curl up next to him, resting my head against his chest.

"Okay," I say, "okay. I'll get a government job. I'll need your help, though. I don't know how to be a leader."

His laughter rumbles in his chest, and he wraps an arm around my shoulders. "I know just about as much as you do when it comes to leading people, Beatrice. What?" he says when he sees the look of scorn on my face, "You don't like Beatrice? Ah, well, I thought I'd give it a try."

"Special occasions only, probably," I shoot back to him, settling back down with my ear over his beating heart. We stay like this for a while, him stroking my hair and me listening to the rhythm of his breathing, just content to be in the presence of one another.

We mull in our thoughts for a while, both of us thinking about the transmitter flowing through all of the Dauntless, until it becomes time for breakfast. I scurry back to my dorm room quietly and get dressed for the day, looking around at all of my fellow initiates; all who would have been soldiers, if Tobias is right in his thinking that someone stopped the simulation before Erudite could launch it. I'm already dreading the inevitable thing I have to do in order to protect all the other Divergent. Getting a government job is just about as desirable as getting a megaphone and announcing to the whole faction that I am Divergent. Christina chatters to me about how excited she is about choosing a job, and about how oh Tris you could get a great government position if you wanted to, and oh I hope Will and I get apartments close together, and oh I can't wait to see the look on Peter's face when you get a better job than him. I smile at her and laugh appropriately, but my heart isn't into the conversation, and all I can think about is getting it over with, choosing a job and then getting an apartment, and then I will be able to relax, at least for a little while, before Tobias and I can conjuncture up a plan to rot out the Erudite/Dauntless from the inside.

Yes, I have an interesting day ahead of me.

* * *

**Short first chapter! I'll try and update every other day, to make the chapters longer, because I can't really stand short chapters. After the first few are up, though, I'm going to try and shoot for weekly updates. Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! If you'd review with your thoughts on this plot that would be awesome, because knowing someone likes your story enough to tell you is an awesome feeling. Thanks!**


	2. II

Previously:

We mull in our thoughts for a while, both of us thinking about the transmitter flowing through all of the Dauntless, until it becomes time for breakfast. I scurry back to my dorm room quietly and get dressed for the day, looking around at all of my fellow initiates; all who would have been soldiers, if Tobias is right in his thinking that someone stopped the simulation before Erudite could launch it. I'm already dreading the inevitable thing I have to do in order to protect all the other Divergent. Getting a government job is just about as desirable as getting a megaphone and announcing to the whole faction that I am Divergent. Christina chatters to me about how excited she is about choosing a job, and about how oh Tris you could get a great government position if you wanted to, and oh I hope Will and I get apartments close together, and oh I can't wait to see the look on Peter's face when you get a better job than him. I smile at her and laugh appropriately, but my heart isn't into the conversation, and all I can think about is getting it over with, choosing a job and then getting an apartment, and then I will be able to relax, at least for a little while, before Tobias and I can conjuncture up a plan to rot out the Erudite/Dauntless from the inside.

Yes, I have an interesting day ahead of me.

* * *

We make our way to the cafeteria for breakfast, Christina with Will in tow and Peter lurking behind like a stray dog. Molly and Drew are nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it I didn't see them when I woke up this morning either. They came back to the dorm after dinner last night, so they probably cleared out sometime last night. I wonder if they left before they could get kicked out of the compound, or if they were dragged out in the middle of the night. Both scenarios seem equally plausible, but I don't dwell on them for long because Christina is looking at me with those nice doe eyes of hers, and she's waiting for me to answer a question I didn't hear her ask.

I blink and ask her, "What?"

She giggles, and then asks again, "Why didn't you tell me you and Four had a thing?" There's teasing in her voice, but something else too. It sounds almost like betrayal, which is really silly. Just because she told me about her and Will doesn't mean I have to share about every little thing Tobias does with me. Although Christina probably expects it; it might be one of the unspoken rules of teenage-girldom, the rules I was never given a copy of since I was brought up in Abnegation.

"Christina, it's not like I wanted to keep you in the dark. We wanted to keep everyone in the dark. I mean, we just-" there's a blush creeping up my neck, "we were afraid people would think my high score was an act of favoritism, not because I actually deserved it."

Christina looks at me with a look of skepticism drawn on her face, and I notice with little surprise that Will has his arm draped over her shoulder. "You could have told me, at least. I can keep a secret."

I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek in order to keep my laughter at bay, because if there's anyone with a bigger mouth than Christina, I have yet to meet them. "I'm sorry, Christina, it seemed like a good idea at the time. You know now, though."

She seems to relax her face some. "Yeah, I guess."

We're almost to the cafeteria now, and I see Uriah and Lynn and Marlene and three other Dauntless-born coming from down the hall. I smile at them in greeting and all of us turn to the cafeteria. When we enter the room there's a spattering of applause to which several of us newly-pledged members bow. I am not one of them. We make our way to our usual table after getting our food. To my delight, Tobias is waiting for me. He looks at the people I am trailing behind before his eyes fall on me, a strange look on his face. _Maybe he's thinking about the transmitter. _If the information he told me is correct, it shouldn't even be able to be set off anymore. That doesn't stop it from being any less scary, though.

I set my tray down next to Tobias's and slide into place next to him. His arm snakes around my waist and me pulls me against him while we eat our food. Christina and Will try to engage us in conversation several times throughout the meal, and I get by with minimal small talk and forced smiles. Tobias said the simulations they injected us with yesterday couldn't be set off, that they've expired. But there's nothing stopping the Erudite from injecting us again and again until they're able to activate the transmitter. Unless there is something stopping them. Or someone. I keep wondering who is could have been, the person who stopped the simulation. Was it someone on the inside who was a part of planning the attack? It probably would have had to have been. Where would they have gotten the information in time otherwise?

There's more applause and I raise my eyes in time to see Eric stand up, a coy smile on his face. He says that after breakfast is over all the former initiates are to see him up at the front of the room. As we finish eating, I warm up and start talking to the people at my table. I find out the three Dauntless-born who I don't know are named Zach, Elaine and Erin. They're nice enough, but I don't think I'll be spending much time with them outside of today. Zach has gauges in his ears that are so wide I have the urge to put my fingers through them just to see how many will fit. Erin and Elaine look like they're sisters. Erin has a piercing that goes through her cheek, and she has a habit of flicking it when she's listening to other people talk. Elaine wears Egyptian kohl eye makeup, and her hair is shaved into a limp mohawk, with hieroglyphs tattooing the shaved parts. It takes me a few moments of staring to realize that it's not makeup surrounding her eyes, but tattooed-in ink.

Nearly everyone has vacated the room by now, so we stand up and start walking towards the front of the hall. Tobias slips his arm from where it was slung around my waist and grips my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Here they are, the new members! Dauntless's future." Eric flashes us a smile and stands up when we're all in front of him. Though his face holds a smile, it's pretty obvious to see that Eric is boiling in rage. This just confirms what Tobias and I thought about the simulation we were injected with. To anyone who doesn't know the circumstances, the anger could probably be mistaken for pride. But I know the circumstances, and I know Eric, and when his icy eyes land on me, his blade-like smile nearly cuts me open. Tobias slips from my side after giving my hand one last squeeze to stand by Eric's side. Eric looks about as happy at this as I would be if I were to find a decaying rat on my pillow.

"As you know, you will be choosing where you are to work today. There are several desirable positions available right now, but not everyone is going to get a satisfying job. Everyone will get work, though, and if you complain you can hit the streets." Eric looked around at all of us. None of us complained, so he continued speaking. "I'll be putting up a list of available jobs now. Look at the screen." He goes over to a control panel in the wall and fiddles with some buttons, a projection of a list appearing on the wall. I see that there are two government positions open.

"The order in which you choose your jobs will be the order that you were ranked. So Tris, you will choose first."

Eric turns his steely eyes to me, and I find myself saying, "I want a position in government" and behind Eric's mask of a face there is a look of shock and then of anger because of course, Eric thought I was going to choose a job that would keep me under the radar, a job that would protect me from the ever-seeking eyes of the people I am now joining – the government.

_Well this throws a wrench in their plans, doesn't it? _I think, then I find myself smirking. Smirking up at Eric, who's controlled his face and said, "Okay, Tris, write your name down on this paper beside the _government position_ you want." he gestures to a sheet of paper on the table next to him. It's the list of jobs again, only this time there's a description beside each job. The two government jobs are Head of Security and Law Enforcement Adviser. Quickly I scan through the descriptions of both, choosing Law Enforcement Adviser because it looks like I can use it to get the inside on everything that's going on with the Erudite. The Dauntless hardly have any laws, anyway, so there probably won't be much for me to enforce. After I scrawl my name next to the empty space by Law Enforcement Adviser, I shoot Tobias a look and go to stand next to Christina while everyone else chooses their job. Uriah chooses the other government position, and soon the desirable jobs are dwindling. Zach and Erin, who were ranked nine and ten, are stuck with Fence Guards. Christina chose to find work in the Pit, knowing that some of the shop owners are looking for extra employees.

"Now that everyone has chosen a job, you will meet Four in the Pit, where he will assign your apartments. After that you are to go back to your rooms and pack your stuff; the dorms are expected to be empty by noon. You will be hearing from your new employer within the next couple of days to get the details about exactly what you just signed up for. Goodbye," Eric promptly exits the room, the papers with the jobs on them in tow.

Tobias leads us out of the cafeteria and to the center of the Pit. He's holding a bag of keys, which I guess Eric handed off to him, and he's calling names and giving out keys with directions and a little room number hooked to the key chain. Most of the

directions he gave led up to the Pire, one or two led out to the surrounding hallways. There is only one key left now, but I still need a room, and so does Marlene.

Tobias stops and looks at me when he says, "Unfortunately, there's a shortage of apartments. Too many Dauntless and not enough room to house them all. So someone is going to have to share an apartment." There's a smile about his mouth as he says this, and he's daring me not to say anything. He's giving me a choice. _Do you want to live with me, Tris? _His eyes are asking. It's almost frightening how easy the decision is. My parents would be appalled to know that it is so simple for me to decide to move in with a boy I like.

"I'll share a room," I say. Tobias lets out a puff of air that could pass for laughter and hands Marlene the last key.

"You all should probably get to packing your things now, Eric is serious when he says we want you out of the dorms by twelve." Tobias says to us.

I fall in line next to Christina, who makes an effort not to include me in the conversation, but I don't mind. I pack up my stash of clothes and strip the bed of its sheets and before I know it I'm outside of Tobias's room made my room, knocking on the door. He opens it with a playful little smile on his face and says "Welcome to your new home,"

I step inside. His room consists of a bed, a wardrobe, a dresser and a mirror hung up on a nail. No room for anything else to be added. "Where can I put my stuff?" I ask, gesturing to the bag of belongings slung over my shoulder.

His smile falters a fraction. He stutters, rubbing at his back, "Ah, well, see, I didn't really think this through. I thought it might be a good idea if we roomed together, you know? So we could, ah, discuss the Erudite easier, and, ah..."

"Tobias!" I shriek, and slug his shoulder, "You're such a goof, oh God. Whatever," I say, moving over to his dresser, "you don't need all these drawers anyway, do you?" I pull one open and it's nearly empty except for a few socks and a shirt. As I take to re-arranging the clothes to make all of mine fit, Tobias examines me from his vantage point on the bed. He seems to be thinking.

"Can I buy you some clothes?" He says suddenly.

I look over my shoulder at him, cocking an eyebrow. "You sound like Christina! Why would you want to buy me clothes? I have plenty right here."

He blushes and looks up at the ceiling. Takes a breath. "I want to be helpful to you. I want to – give – you things. And it seems like you, well, you need clothes. You hardly have any. I have three times as much as you do. Come on," he gets up and wraps his arms around my shoulders, "let me buy you some clothes."

I laugh because Tobias is trying to act the part of a boyfriend, and it's really cute, so I say to him, "Yeah, you can take me shopping. Later, though." I drop the bag that previously held my stuff and grab his shoulders. "Right now I want to get acquainted with my new home," my lips meet his, and I feel a smile start to spread on his face as he wraps his arms around me and steers me to the bed.

* * *

**This is where the book would end, if it were actually published like this. The writing was really forced, and it's sh!t, but whatever. Tell me what you thought! From here on out it'll be a better story.**


	3. III

Previously:

He blushes and looks up at the ceiling. Takes a breath. "I want to be helpful to you. I want to – give – you things. And it seems like you, well, you need clothes. You hardly have any. I have three times as much as you do. Come on," he gets up and wraps his arms around my shoulders, "let me buy you some clothes."

I laugh because Tobias is trying to act the part of a boyfriend, and it's really cute, so I say to him, "Yeah, you can take me shopping. Later, though." I drop the bag that previously held my stuff and grab his shoulders. "Right now I want to get acquainted with my new home," my lips meet his, and I feel a smile start to spread on his face as he wraps his arms around me and steers me to the bed.

* * *

The next day, a middle-aged lady with a horrible yellow dye job and empty gauge holes in her ears is sent to take me to my first government conference. She picks up Uriah, too, and the three of us make our way to a level of the Dauntless compound I've never been to before. The conference consists of us being introduced to the rest of the masterminds running Dauntless and the explaining of exactly what our jobs entail. To me, it seems like the conference is one big ruse to trick me into thinking the Dauntless didn't mean anyone any harm by injecting us with the transmitter-wired simulation. They were trying to throw me off my game, and I acted like it was working, let them think I was being lured into a false sense of security.

The weeks go by in a blur. I start to get into a set schedule. Each day after breakfast I kiss Tobias goodbye and go up to the government-only level of the Pire, and sit in a desk and look through the papers I'm handed. At five every evening, I clock out and go to the cafeteria to eat with Will and Christina (who seems to have forgiven me for withholding the information about my relationship with Tobias) and Tobias and all my other friends. At ten-thirty, after all the parties and games the Dauntless put on, I go back to our apartment and get ready to sleep, then slip into bed with Tobias. Day after day for several months.

I'm being kept in the dark, of course I know that. Eric and Jeanine don't trust me, and they're giving me the most mundane and tedious tasks, anything to keep me busy and away from the real meetings. And they think I don't know about those. The real meetings they're having behind my back. The venomous glares shot my way when Eric thinks I'm not looking at him.

But one day, as I'm rounding the corner to the hallway leading to the elevator shaft, I see them. Quickly I backpedal and squeeze my eyes shut, taking deep breaths. When I'm sure they haven't seen me, I slowly peek around the corner just in time to see them enter a room leading off the hall.

Jeanine. Followed by Eric.

Who's followed by Peter.

And, bringing up the rear, Uriah.

The shock of seeing him with those monsters of people brings me up short, and I almost gasp and have to pull my head back from the corner, eyes wide with shock and betrayal. But wait, maybe they're keeping him hostage? It didn't look like he was struggling, and he didn't even look unhappy. I look back around once more just in time to see the door swinging shut. I tip-toe up to it carefully and press my ear against the door. Just as I suspected, it's sound-proof. I curse and race to the elevator, jamming my finger into the button repeatedly until the elevator dings and the doors open. I fling myself into the compartment, the doors closing excruciatingly slowly. I bounce in place impatiently, trying to find a plausible reason for Uriah to be joining Jeanine and Eric one of their secret meetings. And Peter! Rage rises in my throat and my mouth curls into a snarl. Eric's little fucking lapdog. _What_ was Uriah doing with _them_? The elevator opens and I race out, running down the walls of the pit. I make it to my apartment and skitter to a halt, fumbling with my key. I unlock the door and stumble inside, but the room is empty. The first thought through my head is that maybe Tobias is with them too, but as soon as the thought makes itself known I knock it down, knowing how silly it is. I laugh, a mad little screech through my throat, and collapse on the bad. Tobais is just at work, like I just was, and he will be clocking off at any minute and he'll come get me and take me to dinner, just like every night. There's no way he would betray me, betray the other Divergent. I'm mad at myself for even thinking that.

Next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake by Tobias, an amused little smile lighting up his face.

"Hey," he whispers, "I brought you dinner,"

I sit up groggily and look at the plate he's holding in him hands, pushing my matted hair back from my forehead, "Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask.

"You looked so peaceful. Your face looks so relaxed when you're asleep."

My head throbbed as I ate, and I suddenly remember what I needed to tell Tobias. The plate I'm eating from nearly tumbles onto the sheets when my leg jerks, and I make a noise in the back of my throat. Tobias, who was studying my face, furrows his brow.

"What's wrong?" he asks, putting a tentative hand on my shoulder.

I blink up at him, "Today I almost walked in on one of _their_ secret meetings, and," I choke up, "Uriah was there. With Jeanine and Peter and Eric!"

Tobias's eyebrows shoot up, and he strokes my shoulder, "Do you think he could be spying for us?"

"What if he's spying _on_ us?"

Tobias just shakes his head, "I wanted you to find this out on your own Tris, I wanted to give Uriah the chance to tell you for himself. He's Divergent. I don't think he'll be working with them. He's probably spying for us. Like you're doing," he gives me a smile, and I return it, halfheartedly, because the only thing I can think about is that Uriah is also Divergent, and he's probably spying on the Dauntless/Erudite also.

_So now there's only one thing to do_, I think as I finish off my dinner and Tobias joins me in bed after taking a shower, _I need to confront Uriah_.

* * *

**I am having so much trouble with this story, ugh. Anyway, sorry for the wait on this chapter. I'll try and update again in 3 or 4 days~**


End file.
